Two years ago, cancer sent me into home quarantine, the way coronavirus has driven people into their houses all over the world. The transition was jarring and disruptive, but spending tons of time at home hasn’t been all bad. Here are some of the things...
Using no strengths — like kindness or perspective — to deal with frustration. My husband has just returned from the grocery store, where shelves were empty, people were tense and he waited in the checkout line for an hour. It’s stressful out there. As...
For most of my life, I pushed myself very hard. As the first child, it seemed there was never enough I could do to help my mom. When my little brothers came along, I did all I could to help with them and to cause no trouble of my own. At school, I strove for straight...
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by life, perhaps you’ll relate to the idea of an unmoored bouy. Bouys are those things you see bobbing along the coast near marinas and shipping lanes; they tell boats which way to go and can be a place to hang on if the...
Here’s a little template for you to remind yourself of the many things that make you happy. Use it to boost your mood right now or as a reminder someday when you’re feeling blue. Click the title below to get the PDF. What makes me happy? If you use it,...
I almost drowned in the ocean when I was 16. I was playing with some friends along a rocky coast in northern California when the sand fell away suddenly and I got pulled into an undertow. For the next very long couple of minutes I tumbled around in the current and was...